MyHSK3 is a practice platform for elementary Mandarin Chinese learners preparing for the HSK 3 exam under the HSK 3.0 standard. It offers interactive drills and quizzes covering the roughly 500 new Level 3 vocabulary words, grammar, listening, speaking, and writing.

Is MyHSK3 only for HSK 3 learners?

MyHSK3 covers the full HSK 3.0 Level 3 standard - roughly 500 new words, new grammar, and the listening, speaking, and writing skills HSK 3 introduces. It builds on HSK 1 and HSK 2 for learners continuing their Mandarin Chinese.

How long are the daily drills?

Most drills and quizzes take 5 to 10 minutes. You can practice pinyin tones, vocabulary flashcards, grammar exercises, listening comprehension, or speaking dialogs in short focused sessions.

Can I practice speaking and listening?

Yes. MyHSK3 includes listening comprehension exercises with audio and interactive speaking dialog practice with pronunciation feedback.

Do I need a teacher to use MyHSK3?

No. MyHSK3 is designed for self-study with instant feedback on every drill and quiz. Teachers can also use it to assign exercises to students.

HSK 3.0 is the updated Chinese proficiency standard taking effect in July 2026. It replaces the old HSK 2.0 system and expands the vocabulary at every level. Level 3 adds about 500 new words on top of the roughly 500 from Levels 1 and 2, reaching around 1,000 in total, and introduces a scored writing section. MyHSK3 is fully aligned with the HSK 3.0 Level 3 standard.

How is HSK 3.0 different from HSK 2.0?

HSK 3.0 restructures the old HSK 2.0 system and expands the vocabulary at every level. Level 3 builds on the roughly 500 words from Levels 1 and 2 with about 500 more, plus new grammar and a produced writing section, getting learners ready for real conversations.

Where can I take HSK practice tests online?

MyHSK3 offers full-length HSK 3.0 Level 3 mock exams with 47 questions each, matching the official exam format. Each test includes listening, reading, and writing (书写) sections, timed at about 85 minutes, with a pass score of 180 out of 300 points. All tests use HSK 3.0 Level 1, 2, and 3 vocabulary.

How many words are in HSK 3?

HSK 3 adds about 500 new words on top of the roughly 500 from HSK 1 and HSK 2, so under the HSK 3.0 standard you are expected to know around 1,000 words in total. The old HSK 2.0 Level 3 required about 600. You can practice them all at HSK 3 vocabulary.

What topics does HSK 3 vocabulary cover?

HSK 3 words are grouped by topic on MyHSK3, covering work and study, health and the body, travel and transport, weather and seasons, shopping and money, feelings and opinions, plans and time, and a wide range of everyday verbs and adjectives for describing and comparing.

Where can I get the HSK 3 word list as a PDF?

You can download the full HSK 3 word list as a PDF from the HSK 3 vocabulary hub after a quick free sign in. The same hub has flashcards for every word so you can study on screen too.

Do I still need HSK 1 and HSK 2 words for HSK 3?

Yes. HSK 3 vocabulary is the roughly 500 new words that build on the 500 from HSK 1 and HSK 2, so the exam assumes you already know those. Your working total for HSK 3 is around 1,000 words. You can review the earlier levels at myhsk2.com.

How long does it take to learn the HSK 3 words?

Most learners with a solid HSK 2 base learn the roughly 500 new HSK 3 words in about 3 to 4 months of steady practice, which works out to around 5 new words a day. Studying them in topic batches with flashcards and spaced review keeps the pace comfortable.

Study Tips

The HSK 3 Vocabulary List: About 500 New Words, Grouped by Topic

July 8, 20267 min read

HSK 3 adds about 500 new vocabulary words on top of the roughly 500 you already know from HSK 1 and HSK 2, for around 1,000 words in total under the HSK 3.0 standard. Those new words are more abstract than the earlier levels - opinions, plans, health, work, and the connectors that hold longer sentences together.

Below is what the HSK 3 vocabulary list actually covers, a sample of real words with pinyin and meanings, and the fastest way to work through the whole set.

What the new words cover

The HSK 3 words are sorted by topic on MyHSK3. Compared with HSK 2, they move from naming concrete things to describing situations and ideas:

Work, study, and daily life - jobs, school, plans, habits, and appointments.
Health and the body - feeling well or unwell, seeing a doctor, exercise.
Travel and transport - trips, tickets, directions, and getting around a city.
Feelings and opinions - describing how you feel, agreeing, comparing, and deciding.
Verbs and connectors - a large batch of action verbs plus the conjunctions that build multi-clause sentences.

That shift is the point of HSK 3: the new words let you explain reasons, describe changes, and give opinions, not just label objects.

A sample of HSK 3 words

A handful of examples from those topic groups, with pinyin and meanings:

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
城市	chéngshì	city
决定	juédìng	to decide
健康	jiànkāng	healthy
环境	huánjìng	environment
附近	fùjìn	nearby
参加	cānjiā	to take part in
办法	bànfǎ	method, way
舒服	shūfu	comfortable

Even from this handful you can see the pattern: abstract nouns (环境, 办法), decision verbs (决定, 参加), and describing words (健康, 舒服) that let you say how things are, not just what they are.

How to learn them

The most efficient way through about 500 words is to study them in topic batches rather than alphabetically. Pick one bucket at a time - say Health or Travel - and drill it until it sticks before moving on.

Run flashcards topic by topic, and lean on spaced repetition to resurface earlier batches just before they fade.
Grab the PDF word list from the HSK 3 vocabulary hub whenever you want the whole set to review offline.
Write the new characters. Because HSK 3 has a scored writing section, practice writing each word by hand at writing practice, not just reading it.
See words in context with listening practice and games, so you recognize them by sound and sight.

Roughly 5 new words a day covers the new list in about 3 to 4 months. If you are coming from the level below, brush up first at myhsk2.com.

Words are only part of the exam

Knowing the new words is essential, but the HSK 3 Reading and Listening sections test them inside longer sentences, and the Writing section makes you produce them. That means you also need the grammar patterns that connect words - the 把 and 被 sentences, complements, and conditionals.

Once a few vocabulary batches feel solid, start pairing them with HSK 3 grammar so you can use the words in real sentences. When you are ready to test yourself, a full HSK 3 mock exam shows exactly which topics still need work.

Practice every HSK 3 word

Flashcards for the roughly 500 new HSK 3 words, grouped by topic, plus a downloadable word list. Free after a quick sign in.

Open HSK 3 flashcards

Frequently Asked Questions

How many words are in HSK 3?: HSK 3 adds about 500 new words on top of the roughly 500 from HSK 1 and HSK 2, so under the HSK 3.0 standard you are expected to know around 1,000 words in total. The old HSK 2.0 Level 3 required about 600. You can practice them all at HSK 3 vocabulary.
What topics does HSK 3 vocabulary cover?: HSK 3 words are grouped by topic on MyHSK3, covering work and study, health and the body, travel and transport, weather and seasons, shopping and money, feelings and opinions, plans and time, and a wide range of everyday verbs and adjectives for describing and comparing.
Where can I get the HSK 3 word list as a PDF?: You can download the full HSK 3 word list as a PDF from the HSK 3 vocabulary hub after a quick free sign in. The same hub has flashcards for every word so you can study on screen too.
Do I still need HSK 1 and HSK 2 words for HSK 3?: Yes. HSK 3 vocabulary is the roughly 500 new words that build on the 500 from HSK 1 and HSK 2, so the exam assumes you already know those. Your working total for HSK 3 is around 1,000 words. You can review the earlier levels at myhsk2.com.
How long does it take to learn the HSK 3 words?: Most learners with a solid HSK 2 base learn the roughly 500 new HSK 3 words in about 3 to 4 months of steady practice, which works out to around 5 new words a day. Studying them in topic batches with flashcards and spaced review keeps the pace comfortable.